First, the big news. We think. There’s no story up yet right this second, but the folks at AuburnSports have moved OL Roszell Gayden into Auburn’s list of commitments and have his commitment status listed as a “solid verbal” to Auburn. Gayden is Rivals’s No. 11 JUCO and has offers from Oklahoma, Cal, Tennessee, and a half-dozen other BCS programs; he’s the real deal.

I don’t want to overstate things here. It’s just krootin’, after all, and Auburn’s had some iffy experiences with JUCOs over the past couple of years, but … assuming Gayden does, in fact, sign with Auburn today–Mosley’s paperwork is in and done–I think this is a big deal for Chizik and Co.

Let us count the ways:

1. These guys should be good. Both rank in Rivals’ top-20 for JUCOs and more importantly, both had big-time programs chasing after them that Auburn was able to beat out. Both Gayden and Mosley seem capable of contributing right away, both will have excellent shots at starting jobs in 2011, and at his size Gayden may be the favorite to start at RT as soon as next fall.

2. It really can’t be said enough: both players play on the offensive line. The OL was Chizik and Co.’s No. 1 recruiting priority for the class of 2010, and with a month-plus still to go and a few other quality targets still on the board, Auburn already has commitments from two four-star JUCOs, one four-star top-100 overall tackle, another consensus four-star tackle, and a mammoth project lineman as the cherry on top. That’s a heck of a haul already.

3. In that same vein, it’s a nice display of Chizik’s and his staff’s closing ability. Chizik himself has been up front about the need to find linemen and find them now, in time for spring, and he went right out and got them. Kudos are also in order here for Jeff Grimes, whose recruiting acumen wasn’t supposed to be one of his selling points but who very obviously is getting it done right now.

4. This is what’s maybe most important: Auburn had to get those five back-counted slots for the 2009 class filled today. They were use ’em or lose ’em … and given Auburn’s probation-style lack of numbers, they needed to get used. Bringing in 29 or even 30 new players as opposed to 26 or 27 is a big, big deal.

Auburn appears to have done just that, and even managed to do it without taking “fliers” on players who were otherwise headed to mid-major programs. Assuming Gayden really is in the fold, Gene Chizik and the staff have done it again.

Sanders became the first Ariton player to sign a major college football scholarship since running back Leo Jolley went to Alabama in 1983. Jolley never made the field. A heart condition ended his career.

Wednesday, a parade of students, teachers and friends went to the stage to have their picture made with Ariton’s very own hometown hero. It was Sanders’ last day at Ariton High School, and students in grades 3-12 got out of class to send him on.

“It’s great,” said Sanders, who will enroll at Auburn in January and participate in spring practice. “We have a great community, people that just love me and care for me. It was great to grow up in Ariton” …

Sanders announced last May that he would sign with Alabama, but in September, he switched to Auburn. He said he’s not wavered since he told Auburn coach Gene Chizik he would be a Tiger.

“I haven’t looked back,” Sanders said. “Coach Chizik is a great Christian man. It felt like family. I got to meet all the coaches and stuff. It just felt like home. The people coming in with me are great people.”

Sanders also took the occasion to prove himself a snappy dresser, what with that orange-and-blue tie.

It goes without saying that getting Sanders and Curry in early is big for both their chances of playing time this fall (and beyond) and for Auburn, who needs all the help at DE and LB they can get.

UPDATE: Even more krootin’. While we’re on the subject, a few other notes and links to pass on:

— If most of the action is taking place away from Auburn, today’s also an important day on campus as the coaches host Tallahassee’s Ryan White, a three-star athlete Auburn’s recruiting as a corner, on an unofficial visit. White has gotten the full-court press from Auburn the past couple of weeks and apparently has Auburn at the top of his list. Scout and Rivals are relatively unenthused but ESPN likes him, as they often do the shorter, faster, shiftier guys. (More important, of course, is the fact that Auburn’s coaches allegedly prefer him over some of the higher-rated guys.)

— The OL class could still get even better if Auburn can pry Eric Mack away from South Carolina. And boy, it’s hard not to think their chances have improved after reading this:

[Eric] Wolford left his position as South Carolina’s offensive line coach to become head coach at Youngstown State. Calhoun County coach Walt Wilson said Mack was shaken. He said Mack was “shocked” and “upset.”

“Coach Wolford had a great impact on Mack’s decision,” Wilson told The State in Columbia, S.C.. “Linemen are different than those skill-position guys. Linemen have to feel the connection for that guy they’re going to play for.”

This is hearsay–it’s Mack’s coach talking, not Mack–but still, considering that Mack was wobbling on his ‘Cock commitment even before Wolford’s departure, it sure can’t hurt Auburn’s efforts. What will hurt is heavy interest in Mack from programs like Florida’s. Still a long way to go.

— Another SEC commitment Auburn’s got an eye towards stealing away, Vandy-committed corner Bradley Roby, might be even more difficult to bring in than before–he’s received an offer from Ohio State. Even if Roby goes elsewhere, the Buckeyes’ interest does make clear why Auburn’s after Roby in the first place.

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I really cannot overstate how awesome it feels that this staff is going head to head for recruits with the top programs in the country and winning more than their fair share. Looking back at Tuberville’s last few classes — they rate OK in Rivals’ rankings, but I never felt this kind of energy about them.

Speaking of OLs, whatever happened to Aubrey Phillips? I forget is he still with the team, expected to have a shot at contributing, or he did kinda disappear?

Thanks for the info. Honestly wasn’t expecting much after he bolts from FSU so quick.

And looking at Tuberville’s classes again I really am surprised as how high some of them ranked. 2008 wasn’t so hot at #20, and then Raven Gray, Jermaine Johnson and DeRon Furr failed to pan out.

But 2007 rated #7 in the nation? With no 5-stars? Not to mention that in retrospect quite a few of those 4*s’ names have never crossed my mind since — Johnnie Lee Dixon, Bo Harris, Carlton Johnson, Bailey Woods.

2006 is a similar story: #10, some very solid guys like Tate, Stevens, Fannin, Etheridge; but the only 5* was Greg Smith (who is where now?) and a parade of 4*s who would disappear or fail to qualify and turn up again the next year.

My conclusion: Rivals’ use of an arbitrary “points” system, rather than average * rating, for ranking team classes greatly overstates the accomplishments of guys like Tuberville, who had a pathological tendency to sign a ton of guys who they should have known would never wear an Auburn jersey. I don’t want to count the chickens yet, but based on the information available to us, Chizik’s classes already look much more likely to be “real” in this respect, which makes me respect him all the more in comparison.

Dave–you’re dead-on. Rivals awards points for total commitments and then re-ranks in the fall after seeing who actually makes it to campus–their fall rankings are more accurate but get 1/4 the publicity. Which was good for Tubby, since his classes were always gutted. 2008 finished 33rd:

Is “The Incident” a reference to Smith’s earlier arrest or is there some new drama we’re talking around?

And I’m not sweating an al.com comment until Chizik starts talking about whether someone is “doing the unspecified things that it may or may not allegedly take in some of all possible universes to meet the unspeakable qualifications of an Auburn man.”

Just for the sake of apples to apples curiosity. I wonder how Tuberville’s first couple of classes ranked? No question that his later classes were filled with DNQs.

And maybe it’s just my impression, I haven’t followed cruting much in the past, but it seems like Chizik’s going for more players with um “pedigrees(?)”, i.e. state championship winners a la moseley and curry, whereas, it seemed like Tubs was in love with random speedy defensive guys from random central Fla. schools that were otherwise not noteworthy.

This is all fantastic news for 2010. Perhaps the most intriguing news on the recruiting front is the visit of five-star JC QB Cam Newton (6’6″, 250, 4.5), who beat out Brantley to be Tebow’s back up (before that unfortunate laptop incident).

Um. I looked at that guy’s stats. Rivals (at least the free portion) shows that he doesn’t have an offer, but maybe Malzahn & Co. took a look at the QB stables and figured nobody was going to stand out next season, so why not look at a JUCO guy… ?

We’ll see on Newton, but it’s interesting, to say the least. Can’t say it’s the biggest endorsement for Caudle or for Rollison’s return. Huge potential risk for Chizik and Co.–their rep for doing things the right way would take a massive hit if they bring in a laptop-thief and something goes wrong.